Martin Rama Livability rankings for cities are often based on criteria such as quality schools, or clean air, or low crime... But I always thought that there was something else about Hanoi, something more difficult to measure. If I had to put a name on that something it would be "lively sidewalks." I am sure that many of the tourists who visit Hanoi would agree with me. And the Hanoians who buy their vegetables in street markets in the morning, take their children and pets out for a walk during the day, or get together to eat, drink and date outdoors in the evening, would also agree. There are many reasons why sidewalks are so full of life in Hanoi. The French urban layout of the city center includes beautiful tree-lined streets, with ample space for pedestrians. Crowded housing encourages people to go out. And Vietnamese food is so good that nobody wants to miss on the chance of a street pho in the morning, or a street bun cha at night. For all these reasons, I feel truly heartened … [Read more...] about Sidewalks and traffic: a false trade-off
New york trade school
Planes grounded after deadly Ethiopia crash
Investigators recovered the black-box flight recorders from the Nairobi-bound jet that went down early Sunday near Addis Ababa, the carrier Ethiopia Airlines said. Flight ET302 crashed into a field just six minutes after takeoff as the pilot alerted controllers of "difficulties". There were people from 35 countries on board, including some two dozen U.N. staff. Ethiopia decreed Monday a day of national mourning. The aircraft was the same type of jet as the Indonesian Lion Air plane that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew. Airlines in Ethiopia, China, South Africa, Indonesia and the Cayman Islands said Monday they were suspending operations by their 737 MAX 8 fleets. The move caused Boeing shares to tumble around 12 percent earlier in the day, before recovering about half its losses in mid-afternoon New York trading. Jets grounded Ethiopia Airlines said investigators had found the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders on Monday. It said it had grounded its … [Read more...] about Planes grounded after deadly Ethiopia crash
Technology brings region into the future
Viet Nam News Borge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum, speaks to Viet Nam News about the technological advances bringing new opportunities in the era of Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 has been creating drastic and dramatic changes for ASEAN countries’ socio-economic development. How do you assess their achievements in the context of fast-advancing science-technology applications? We see that many ASEAN countries have developed strong national-level plans for the digital economy, like the Smart Nation initiative in Singapore or Thailand 4.0. So far, the plans seem to focus on infrastructure roll-out, and that is not a bad thing; without the proper infrastructure, it is impossible to compete. One country that does particularly well in this regard is Singapore. In our most recent “Networked Readiness” report, Singapore was the world’s best-performing economy, meaning it uses ICT in the best possible way to boost competitiveness and well-being. Since … [Read more...] about Technology brings region into the future
US author: lost and found in Vietnam
VietNamNet Bridge – For American scholar Jack Weatherford, a professor of anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, Vietnam is a country that evokes memories and feelings. He lost his father in the American War in Vietnam, and that’s why he feels a deep sympathy for local people. Author Jack Weatherford signs his book at the launch in Hanoi. — VNS Photo Minh Thu He has been to Vietnam many times with his wife. When she died, he returned to Vietnam twice in recent years with his children and grandchildren to introduce them to the country. Last month, he came to Vietnam to introduce the Vietnamese version of his book Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Since its first publication in 2004, it has been lauded as the most comprehensive work on the Mongolian emperor. Lost in war Weatherford said he was nervous when he first arrived. Though the war had ended about 20 years previously, he thought that the Vietnamese people would be … [Read more...] about US author: lost and found in Vietnam
US author: lost and found in Việt Nam
Viet Nam News By Minh Thu For American scholar Jack Weatherford, a professor of anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, Việt Nam is a country that evokes memories and feelings. He lost his father in the American War in Việt Nam, and that’s why he feels a deep sympathy for local people. He has been to Việt Nam many times with his wife. When she died, he returned to Việt Nam twice in recent years with his children and grandchildren to introduce them to the country. Last month, he came to Việt Nam to introduce the Vietnamese version of his book Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Since its first publication in 2004, it has been lauded as the most comprehensive work on the Mongolian emperor. Lost in war Weatherford said he was nervous when he first arrived. Though the war had ended about 20 years previously, he thought that the Vietnamese people would be suspicious of an American in their country. … [Read more...] about US author: lost and found in Việt Nam
Social News 20/7
Cannabis garden destroyed in Tây Nguyên Province Police destroying the illegal cannabis garden in Đắk Nông Province’s Krông Nô District. – Photo baomoi.com.vn About 1,000 marijuana trees were recently destroyed in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông, Việt Nam News Agency reported. According to the province’s Krông Nô District Police, the tree grove was discovered in Phú Vinh Village of Quảng Phú Commune. The total weight of marijuana trees being picked up was about 30kg. During the garden destruction, the police found that a large amount of marijuana had been harvested before. The marijuana garden was located in a forest, 25km from the commune’s centre. The area is difficult to approach due to poor roads, said the commune’s vice chairman Võ Hoàng Phú. So far, the police had not yet found the owners of the marijuana garden. The local police said that … [Read more...] about Social News 20/7
Vietnam stands 45th in Global Innovation Index
Vietnam stands 45th in Global Innovation IndexBy Thanh Thom WIPO Director General Francis Gurry speaks at the opening of the Global Innovation Index 2018 launch event in New York on Tuesday – PHOTO: WIPO HCMC – Vietnam has moved up in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2018 Report to take the 45th position this year, up from the 47th spot last year, steering closer to regional powerhouses like China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. The report, released in New York on Tuesday, marks the 11th edition of the GII and the beginning of its second decade of providing data and insights gathered from tracking innovation across the globe. This year’s edition is dedicated to the theme of “Energizing the World with Innovation,” a collaboration among the Business School for the World (INSEAD), Cornell University and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) – a specialized agency of the United Nations. The theme analyzes the energy innovation … [Read more...] about Vietnam stands 45th in Global Innovation Index
Trumps weighs in on breastfeeding debate, defends formula
A weekend report in The New York Times stated that US delegates to a recent WHO meeting sought to delete from a resolution on infant nutrition language that urged member states to "protect, promote and support" breastfeeding. The United States reportedly pressured Ecuador to drop sponsorship of the text, threatening trade sanctions and military aid cuts. In the end, the Times said, the Russians stepped in to introduce the measure -- and the final resolution preserved most of the original wording. Noting that the US position aligned with infant formula manufacturers, the paper cited the case as an example of the Trump administration siding with corporate interests on public health and environmental issues. Trump hit out at the Times article, while saying the United States was committed to ensuring women are not "denied" formula. "The failing NY Times Fake News story today about breast feeding must be called out," the president tweeted. "The U.S. strongly supports breast feeding but we … [Read more...] about Trumps weighs in on breastfeeding debate, defends formula
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 27/3
Although Vietnam has stepped up exports to ASEAN, the country ran a trade deficit of US$6.51 billion with the region last year, according to data of the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Vietnam’s trade with other ASEAN countries totaled US$49.53 billion last year, up 19.6% over 2016 and accounting for 11.7% of the country’s total foreign trade. Export growth outpaced import growth but the country still incurred a yawning trade deficit with the region. The country exported US$21.51 billion worth of products to other Southeast Asian countries, growing 23.9% against the previous year, while imports grew by 16.4% year-on-year to US$28.02 billion. The surge in exports to ASEAN is thanks to higher export revenues from mobile phones and phone parts (up US$948 million), iron and steel products (up US$722 million), computers, electronic products and components (up US$488 million), crude oil (up US$378 million), and textiles-garments (up US$181 million). Meanwhile, Vietnam … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 27/3
Vietnam, U.S. universities team up to train hospitability workforce
Vietnam, U.S. universities team up to train hospitability workforceDao Loan The HCMC-based University of Foreign Trade and the Imperial International Hotel School under the management of Imperial Group last Thursday clinched a strategic partnership with New York-based Niagara University over a hospitality training program. At the signing ceremony at the Reunification Palace in HCMC’s District 1, representatives of the three parties announced the enrollment for the first two programs, including a nine-month hotel management course for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in hotel management and a TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) course on tourism and hotel. The two courses will be available since September this year where students will learn in English with local and international lecturers from the three schools. Students will also spend a maximum 70% of the course’s time length for an internship at the five-star Imperial Hotel in the coastal … [Read more...] about Vietnam, U.S. universities team up to train hospitability workforce